Fire escape cable drum



March 13, 1951 w. scHAUER 2,544,729

FIRE ESCAPE CABLE DRUM FIG. i.

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March 13, 1951 w. scHAUr-:R 2,544,729

FIRE ESCAPE CABLE DRUM Filed Jan. l0, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 grama/Wto@ Patented Mar. 13, v1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE; ESCAPE CABLEDRUM Walter Schauer, Annapolis, Md.

Application `anuary 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,378

This invention relates toemergency reescape devices-and particularly devices adaptedfo-r individual usesuch as in hotel-rooms and the like, and in particular the invention refers toa flanged drum or reel with a cable on the outer surface that may be used by an individual to lower him- Self from awindowor the like, and the drumA is provided with automatic braking means and gears thatretard downward movement of the cable to prevent injury to the individual that ymay result from descending too rapidly.

'Various types of nre-escape apparatus has been provided for individual use in residences, apartments, hotels, and the like, the most common being a, coil` of rope beside a window. However,

"with one end of the rope made-fast the average Iindividual will burn his hands in atempting to slide down the rope. With this thought in mind the. invention contemplates a holder for the rope wherein the rope may be let down easily and the holder is provided with centrifugally controlled retarding means whereinacceleration of the rope increases the holding force.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple, unique individual re escape device by which each occupant of a, hotel or the like may lower himself to safety with absolute security.

Substantiallyall buildings are provided; with elevators,r safety separated stairways, or fire escapes, butin rapidly spreading; fires there are generally some .people who. cannot reach the elevaitors, stairwaysandiire escapes. For thisy reason this invention also contemplates re escape devices distributed at various points over the floor of a building or in each room, wherein there is always fire escape means regardless of where the re is located in the building.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a re escape device that is always available and that may readily be used by the average individual.

Another object of the invention is to provide a re escape device which will readily lower a person to the ground with safety without an operator or attention from an outside source.

Another object of the invention is to provide a re escape device which will lower one person from a building and may then be rewound to lower another person, or which may used as often as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide an individual re escape device which once installed, requires no attention to keep it ready for use. v

Another object of the invention is to provide 2. an individual fire escapeV device in whichthe. operation thereof requires no tools or the. like., so that it is only necessary for an individual toaix himself to a cable thereof and jumpv outzofa. window or the like.

A further object of the invention is to pro.- vide an individual fire escape device which iscomparatively simple and inexpensive so that it may be installed in substantially all hotel rooms. and the like.

With these andA otherv objectsin view the invention embodies a hanged drum or reel'with alcable thereon, a wall bracket on which, the drum is mounted, friction brake elements inthe drum, gears actuating thebrakeelements for centrifugal action thereof, a clutch for disengagingt the gears, and means rewinding the cable on the. drum.

Other features and, advantagesv of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the. drawings, wherein:

Figure. l isa view showing a front. elevation of the fire. escape. devicewith the lower part of the drum broken vaway and shown insecticn.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the device with parts/broken away and; parts in section and with the wall bracket shown in. eleva,- tion.

Figure` 3 is a view showing thedevice as it would appear in use'with the drum mounted on a wall or side wall of aroom in a building.

Figure 4 is; a detail showing the brake actuating clutch collar.

Figure 5 is a detail showing one of the centrifugally operated weights of the brake.

Figure 6 is a cross section through one of the weights taken on line 5--6 of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts the fire escape device of this invention includes a drum ID, a cable Ii, and a wall bracket l2.

The drum ID is formed with flanges i3 and I4, and a centrally disposed hub i5 in a web I6. VThe drum is freely rotatable on a tubular shaft I1 through the hub I5 and the shaft is iixedly mounted in the plate which forms the bracket I2 in which it is held by a lock nut I 8 as shown in'Figure 2. The inner end of the drum is provided with an internal gear I9 that meshes with a pinion 2B on a stud shaft 2| iixedly mounted in the bracket l2, and the pinion meshes with a gear 22 on a clutch sleeve 23 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft l1 and provided with ratchet teeth 24 in the opposite end. The clutch sleeve 23 is normally held in the position shown in Figure 2 wherein the teeth thereof engage corresponding teeth 25 in a clutch collar 26 by Ia spring 21 in a recess 28 in the end thereof; and when it is desired to wind the cable on the drum, the drum is rotated by a handle 29 in a clockwise direction and they teeth 24 slip off of the teeth 25 permitting the drum to rotate.

As the cable is drawn downward as shown in Figure 3 the weight of a person thereon causes the drum to rotate and as the drum rotates the gears rotate the clutch collar 2B in a direction opposite to that in which the drum is rotating and the collar rotates the Weights 38 and 3| through forks 32 and 33 which are slidably mounted on fiat surfaces 34 and 35 of the collar, and as the speed of rotation increases the weights will be thrown outward by centrifugal force and their outer surfaces will frictionally engage a brake band 36 on the inner surface of the drum. Therefore as the speed increases the centrifugal force will increase the friction between the weights and drum, and as the weights and drum are rotating in opposite directions, the device forms a friction brake which retards the speed or the drum. The weights are normally urged outward by springs 31 and 38 the ends of which are held on pins 3S -.v.

and 4D. One end of the cable is held in a socket 4| in the drum by a set screw 112, and the other end of the cable is provided with loops d3 into which the feet may be placed, with the hands holding in upper loops 44 -as shown.

The wall bracket may be of any suitable shape or design and may be held to the surface of the wall by screws 45 or by any suitable means.- 1t will also be understood that other modifications may be made in the elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a re escape device, a drum with flanges at vthe ends, a cable on said drum with one end attached thereto, a wall bracket with a shaft extending therefrom, means rotatably mounting the drum on the shaft, a clutch collar rotatably mounted on the said shaft, a releasable clutch element geared to the drum positioned to coact with the clutch collar, Weights positioned in the drum slidably mounted on the collar, and a handie secured to the drum for rotation thereof.

2. In a fire escape device, a drum with flanges at the ends, a cable on said drum with one end attached thereto, a wall bracket with a shaft extending therefrom, means rotatably mounting the drum on the shaft, a clutch collar rotatably mounted on said shaft, a releasable clutch element also rotatably mounted on the shaft positioned to mesh with the clutch collar, weights positioned in the drum slidably mounted on the clutch collar, and gears actuating the clutch elements by the drum to rotate the weights in a direction opposite to that in which the drum rotates.

3. In a fire escape device, a cable drum, a. shaft positioned in said drum for rotatably supporting the same, a clutch collar rotatably carried on said shaft, weights slidably disposed on said collar and adapted to be rotated by said colf lar to urge said weights into frictional contact with said drum by centrifugal force, and driving means for said collar comprising a rotatable y sleeve slidably carried on said shaft, resilient means positioned on said shaft urging said sleeve into driving engagement with said collar, and power-transmitting mechanism operatively connecting said sleeve and said drum operable'upon rotation of said drum to rotate said sleeve.,A ,r1 4. In a iire escape device, a cable drum, a shaft positioned in said drum for rotatably supporting the same, a clutch collar rotatably carriedl said shaft, weights slidably disposed on saidcol.` lar and adapted to be rotated by said collar ltov urge said weights into frictional contact Awith said drum by centrifugal force, a rotatable sleeve slidably carried on said shaft, and means for, ro; tating said collar in one direction only upon rol. tation of said drum in the opposite direction coni1 prising ratchet teeth on one end of said collar, ratchet teeth on the adjacent end of said sleev, resilient means on said shaft urging said sleeve toward said collar, a gear on the end of said sleeve remote from said collar, an internal gear on said drum, and means operatively connecting said gears. WALTER sCHAUErt;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PllTllN'lfSl Date Wittner Dec. 22, ,1942 

